GLOSSARY OF SCREEN TERMS Anime - Japanese term for animated films
Aspect Ratio - Relationship between the width and height of a picture as it is displayed on a screen. It is expressed as a ratio of width: height.
Camera angle - Position from which the camera frames what is filmed.
Cellulose nitrate film - The first type of film base used in motion picutres, and the most common until 1951. Cellulose nitrate film is highly unstable and presents a very serious fire risk.
Cinematographer - Person who designs or directs the positioning of the camera and lighting for each shot; the director of photography. The cinematographer can also be the camera operator, but this is not always the case.
Close-up - Camera shot showing a close-up view of the subject that fills most of the screen.
Composition - Arrangements of elements in a shot in relation to each other and to the viewer; the way they are framed.
Cut - Abrupt transition from one shot to another; a splice between two frames of a film.
Deep focus - Shot where the foreground and background are equally in focus.
Depth of field- Area in perfect focus in front of and behind the subject. Anything within this 'depth of field’ will appear sharp.
Director - Person who has primary control over a film’s creative aspects, as well as over the direction of the principle cast and crew.
Dissolve - Gradual transition between two shots where the images from one shot are replaced by images from another.
Documentary Film - Program type that seeks to represent reality or remain factual; a non-fiction film.
Editing - Selection and assembling of the pieces of film (shots) which will comprise a finished movie; the process of fine-tuning a script.
Fade - Gradual appearance (fade in) or disappearance (fade out) of an image or sound from or to a black screen.
Feature Film - Full length fiction film running over 60 minutes in duration
Film - A motion picture or movie.
Film language - Way in which films tell stories and affect the viewer; the elements of filmmaking employed to tell the story in a particular way.
Frame - Rectangle formed by the outside of a movie screen; to arrange a shot’s composition; also each separate image in a motion picture film.
Genre - Style of film dictated by particular thematic conventions.
High-angle shot - A downwards shot where the camera is in a higher vertical position than the subject.
Intertitle - Piece of descriptive text which appears in between scenes or shots of a film. Commonly used in silent films to clarify action or dialogue.
Long shot - Camera shot which makes the subject look small and far away; often used to show an object in relation to its surroundings.
Low-angle shot - An upwards shot where the camera is in a lower vertical position than the subject.
Medium shot - Camera shot midway between a close-up and a wide shot.
Motion Picture - Series of images on a strip of film, usually projected at the rate of 24 frames per second, which make up a conceptually complete work. Also referred to as a film.
Pan - Camera movement created when the camera swivels horizontally on a stationary tripod (from the word ‘panorama’).
Print - The projectable version of a film.
Restoration - Process of returning an artefact to as close to its original condition as possible. An example of a film which has been restored is Jedda (1955).
Scene- Section of film unified by time or place; a segment of film that depicts a single situation or incident made up of a number of frames. Film scripts are divided into scenes.
Score -Music written specifically for a film. Separate from the film soundtrack.
Screenplay - Film script.
Shoot - To film something.
Shot - Any set-up of the camera so that something can be filmed; also used as a verb, with the same meaning as ‘filmed.’
Soundtrack - Commonly refers to music not specifically written for a film but which is used in the film, such as popular songs.
Stop-motion - Animation technique whereby the impression of movement is created by filming a sequence of one or two still frames at a time. An example is Harvie Krumpet (2003).
Storyboard - Pictorial representation of a film sequence often depicted as a series of comic book style drawings. Part of a director’s preparation for a film shoot.
Subtitle - Written text which commonly appears in the lower part of the screen to translate dialogue for foreign audiences.
Tilt - Vertical movement of the camera on its tripod.
Tracking shot - Shot where the camera (mounted on a mobile platform) steadily travels along a horizontal plane to the object being filmed. Also known as a dolly shot.
Voice-over - Recorded dialogue, usually narration, that comes from an unseen, off-screen voice.
Wide shot - Shot which covers the action of the scene in a wide or panoramic view.
Widescreen - Any aspect ratio wider than 4:3 or the standard Academy Frame. See Aspect Ratio.
Zoom shot - Shot which moves closer to, or away from, the subject using the lens rather than moving the whole camera in or out.
Anime - Japanese term for animated films
Aspect Ratio - Relationship between the width and height of a picture as it is displayed on a screen. It is expressed as a ratio of width: height.
Camera angle - Position from which the camera frames what is filmed.
Cellulose nitrate film - The first type of film base used in motion picutres, and the most common until 1951. Cellulose nitrate film is highly unstable and presents a very serious fire risk.
Censorship rating - Rating (G, PG, M etc) given to a motion picture by a film classification body (in Australia, Office of Film and Literature Classification)
Cinematographer - Person who designs or directs the positioning of the camera and lighting for each shot; the director of photography. The cinematographer can also be the camera operator, but this is not always the case.
Close-up - Camera shot showing a close-up view of the subject that fills most of the screen.
Composition - Arrangements of elements in a shot in relation to each other and to the viewer; the way they are framed.
Cut - Abrupt transition from one shot to another; a splice between two frames of a film.
Deep focus - Shot where the foreground and background are equally in focus.
Depth of field- Area in perfect focus in front of and behind the subject. Anything within this 'depth of field’ will appear sharp.
Director - Person who has primary control over a film’s creative aspects, as well as over the direction of the principle cast and crew.
Dissolve - Gradual transition between two shots where the images from one shot are replaced by images from another.
Documentary Film - Program type that seeks to represent reality or remain factual; a non-fiction film.
Editing - Selection and assembling of the pieces of film (shots) which will comprise a finished movie; the process of fine-tuning a script.
Fade - Gradual appearance (fade in) or disappearance (fade out) of an image or sound from or to a black screen.
Feature Film - Full length fiction film running over 60 minutes in duration
Film - A motion picture or movie.
Film language - Way in which films tell stories and affect the viewer; the elements of filmmaking employed to tell the story in a particular way.
Frame - Rectangle formed by the outside of a movie screen; to arrange a shot’s composition; also each separate image in a motion picture film.
Genre - Style of film dictated by particular thematic conventions.
High-angle shot - A downwards shot where the camera is in a higher vertical position than the subject.
Intertitle - Piece of descriptive text which appears in between scenes or shots of a film. Commonly used in silent films to clarify action or dialogue.
Long shot - Camera shot which makes the subject look small and far away; often used to show an object in relation to its surroundings.
Low-angle shot - An upwards shot where the camera is in a lower vertical position than the subject.
Medium shot - Camera shot midway between a close-up and a wide shot.
Motion Picture - Series of images on a strip of film, usually projected at the rate of 24 frames per second, which make up a conceptually complete work. Also referred to as a film.
Pan - Camera movement created when the camera swivels horizontally on a stationary tripod (from the word ‘panorama’).
Print - The projectable version of a film.
Restoration - Process of returning an artefact to as close to its original condition as possible. An example of a film which has been restored is Jedda (1955).
Scene- Section of film unified by time or place; a segment of film that depicts a single situation or incident made up of a number of frames. Film scripts are divided into scenes.
Score -Music written specifically for a film. Separate from the film soundtrack.
Screenplay - Film script.
Shoot - To film something.
Shot - Any set-up of the camera so that something can be filmed; also used as a verb, with the same meaning as ‘filmed.’
Soundtrack - Commonly refers to music not specifically written for a film but which is used in the film, such as popular songs.
Stop-motion - Animation technique whereby the impression of movement is created by filming a sequence of one or two still frames at a time. An example is Harvie Krumpet (2003).
Storyboard - Pictorial representation of a film sequence often depicted as a series of comic book style drawings. Part of a director’s preparation for a film shoot.
Subtitle - Written text which commonly appears in the lower part of the screen to translate dialogue for foreign audiences.
Tilt - Vertical movement of the camera on its tripod.
Tracking shot - Shot where the camera (mounted on a mobile platform) steadily travels along a horizontal plane to the object being filmed. Also known as a dolly shot.
Voice-over - Recorded dialogue, usually narration, that comes from an unseen, off-screen voice.
Wide shot - Shot which covers the action of the scene in a wide or panoramic view.
Widescreen - Any aspect ratio wider than 4:3 or the standard Academy Frame. See Aspect Ratio.
Zoom shot - Shot which moves closer to, or away from, the subject using the lens rather than moving the whole camera in or out.